Electrical fixture connecting and supporting device



E. C ELY ET AL Dec. 22, 1931.

' ELECTRICAL FIXTURE CONNECTINC AND SUPPORTING DEVICE Filed June 7, 1950 WITNESSES MEW Patented Dec. 22, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I EDGAR c. ELY, or' CAEBONDALE, AND LUTHER s. ELY, m., 0F BROOKLYN,

PENNSYLVANIA .Y

ELECTRICAL FIXTURE coNNEcTING AND surifonTINGiy DEVICE Application ltd .Tune 7,

soldering of wires, which enables a fixture' to be readily installed, which eliminates short lcirc-uiting, which lock the fixture inl Vl place to thereby prevent the electrical connections from being broken, and which enables the fixture to be readily detachedand alterations tol be made whenever necessary or desirable.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention resides in the particular provision, construction, arrangement and combination of the parts hereinafter fully described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through an outlet box and electrical fixture together with the device of the present invention applied thereto; y

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Figure 1, showing the canopy of the fixture lowered;A J

Figure 3 is an inside'view of the outlet box showing the parts connected therewith; Figure 4 is an end view of the coupling element." Y

Referring' now more particularly to the several views of the drawings, it will be apparent that there is shown an outlet box of standard form which, it is to be understood, will be secured to the form structure `of a wall orceiling 11. The box 10 has the usual knock-out disks, one of which has been removed to accommodate a flexible feeder 1:' conduit or armor 12 which is secured in any suitable manner, as at 13, to the box 10. Feed wires 14 and 15 extend through the armor 12 into the box 10, the wire 14 being electrically connected, as at 16, with the box 10, andthe wire 15 being connected, as at 17, with a plate fio 1930. serial No. 459,720.

18 of conducting material which issecured to a block of insulating material 19, the latterA being secured to a Wall of the box `10 between the plate 18 and said Wall. A U- r shaped bracket 20 of conducting material is 55 secured to thelbox 10 interiorly thereof, and is'electricallyl connected'with the box v10 by a wire 21 which has one end connected with a wall l0 of the box, yas at22, and the oppo- M site end thereof connected with ai lug 123, 50 forming a part of the bracket 20, as at 24. The bracket 20 is arranged centrally ofthe box 10.V A fixture stud is provided which consists-of an insulator 25 having an exte- M vrior thimble or ferrule 26 of threaded con-l *e5 struction applied thereto. The Studis se- 'curedto thebracket 20 lwith the vfen'ule 26 electrically connected with the bracket20.

binding post 27 extends through the insulator 25 and has ya head 28 on one end, and "10 its opposite end is threaded to receive a binding nut 29. A wire 'has one end thereof electrically connected, as at'31, with the plate 118, and its opposite end is arranged between the insulator 25 and a metal disk 32,clamped (316 `in-placev by the nut 29 to velectrically connect the wire 30 with the post 27.' Use made of a coupling element 33 of conductin material consisting of ends 34 and 35wh1ch are connected together by longitudinal members "0 36 arranged diametrically opposite v"each other. The end 34 ofthe element 33 is tapped for threading engagement with the ferrule 26. The end of the element 33 is rigidly secured in any suitable manner with the upper Yr"95 end of a ri id conduit 37 forming a part of al lighting xture. A disk 38 of insulating material is secured in place on the end 34 of the element 33. A binding post 39extendsw centrally through the disk 38 and has a head "90 40 on one end, and its opposite end is threaded to receive binding nuts 41. A lead wire 42 has one end thereof clamped between the nuts 41 to make electrical connection ofthe wire 42 with the post 39. A lead wire 43 isb electrically connected, as at 44, with one end of the members 36 of the element 33. 'The wires 42 and 43 respectively extend through holes 45 in the conduit 37, and pass interiorlyw lof the conduit to alamp socket of the fixture. 10U

From the foregoing it Will be apparent that the coupling element 33 may be threaded on the ferrule 26 of the fixture stud to bring the head 40 of the binding post 39 in contact with the head 2S of the binding post 27. This will establish electrical connection between the feed Wires v14 and l5 and `the lead Wires 42 and 43. In this manner a lighting fixture may be electrically connected, and also mechanical-ly detachably connected and supported with respect to the outlet box 10.

In order to `prevent reverse turning or unscrewing of the coupling element 33 there is provided a. releasable udevice which comprises a ratchet Wheel 45 forming part of the element 33 and a flexiblepawllor dog 46 Which enact-s with the teeth .of the ratchet Wheel 45. 'The :pawl or -dog 46 in the .present instance 1s upstruck from the material of the Vbracket A2O. llit will be understood ,that the coupling ielement maybe threaded 'on `the ferrule 26, and in so doing tthe .pawl -or dog 46 will be ,flexed radially outward by the teeth of the ratchet Wheel 45. Zhen the coupling element 33 is Vbrought to .the proper adjusted position toaestablishielectrical connection, the ,pawl or 'dog 46 will co-operate with one of :the teeth ofthe ratchet Wheel 45 to ,prevent -unscrewingfofthe-couplingy element 33, except by ydisengaging the lpawl or dog 4'6. 'I he lighting fixture includes a canopy 47 which :is detacliably secured to the conduit 37, and .serves with vthe outlet -box 10 to enclose the parts. The ncanopy 47r1naybe slid downward- .ly on the conduit in order tota-110W ya suitable tool, ,such .as a screw driver, to be projected between the upper edge ofthe canopy '.47 andthe ceiling 1l lto hold :the pawl or dog 46 out of engagement with .the Vratchet Wheel 45 for the purpose of unscrewing :the lfixture from the 'fixture stud, that is to say, to permit the coupling element L33 to be nnscrewed from the ferrule l26.

Claims:

l. The combination `with :a fixture Iand :an outlet `boxpof means for electrically connecting the fixture vwith respect to isaiid youtlet box, and also mechanically detachably connecting land supporting said Yfixture with re- -Spect -to Ysaid outlet box, .said lmeans includ- `ingrafstud carried by said outlet ibex; a rigid conduit forming fa part of said fixture, an :element icouplifngsasi d conduit `with said stud, Vand a releasable :device which prevents the unscrewing :of -said fcoupling element.

:2. .The combination with fan outlet box, of a :bracket of conducting `'material :electrical-ly secu-red `to said :box on :the inside thereof, a fixture stud positioned-on said brach-et, said stud jcomprising an insulator core, and a threaded tthimble of 'conducting material fitting on said :core and in electrical vconnection with said bracket; anda binding post extendlthrough said icore and 4having means on one end forelectrically securing .a conductor` thereto, and also having a contact head on the opposite end.

8. The combination with an outlet box, of a bracket of conducting material electrically secured to said box on the inside thereof, a fixture stud positioned on said bracket, said stud comprising an insulator core, and a threaded thimble of conducting material fitting on said core and in electrical connection Vith said b wicket; a binding post extending through said core and having means on one end for electrically securing a conductor thereto, and also having a contact head on the `opposite end, and a coupling element of conducting material in threaded engagement With said 'thimble 4. The combination with an outlet box, of a fixture stud in fixed position in said box, said stud comprising an insulator core, and athreaded thimble of cond cting material fitting on said core and in electrical connection With said box; a binding post extending throughsaid core and having means on one end for electrically securing a conductor thereto, and also having a. contact head on the opposite end, a coupling element of conducting material in threaded engagement with sa-id'thimble, and a binding post carried `by and insulated from said coupling element, said second binding post having a contact Vhead on one end to engage the contact hea` d on said first binding post, and also having means on the opposite end for electrically securing thereto a lead Wire.

5. The combination with an outlet box, of a bracket of conducting material electrically secured to said box on the inside thereof, a fixture stud positioned on said bracket, said stud comprising an insulator core, and. a. threaded thimble of conducting material littingf on said core and in electrical connection with said bracket; a binding post extending through said core, a plate of conducting materi al secured to and insulated from said box, and a Wire electrically connecting said binding post with said plate.

6. The combination with an outlet box, of a fixture stud in fixed posit-ion in said box, said stud comprising an insulator core, and a threaded thimble of conducting material fitting on said core and in electrical conrnection with said box; a binding post extending through said core, a coupling element of conducting material in threading engagement with said thimble, a bindin post ar-ried rby and insulated from said coupling element and adapted to contact With said first binding post, a plate of conducting materrial secured to and insulated from said box, a Wire electrically connecting said first binding post with said platey and lead Wires respectively electrically connected with said coupling element and second binding post.

7. The combination with an outlet box, of a bracket, a threaded fixture stud positioned llU 0n said bracket, a coupln element adapted to be screwed on and o of said stud, a ratchet Wheel on said coupling element, and a exible pawl on said bracket which coacts with said ratchet wheel to releasably prevent the coupling element from being unscrewed from said stud.

' EDGAR C. ELY.

LUTHER S. ELY, JR. 

